Plug-tobacco box.



B. F. MILLER.

PLUG TOBACCO BOX.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 12, 1911.

1,047,269, Patented Dec. 17, 1912 w. b 21 4 a wi/tumwo v 3313 I l I atwmur 'tical section on the line 4-4 of Fig.

'rss ass non.

BENJAMIN F. MILLER, OF OXNARD, CALIFORNIA.

PLUG-TOBACCO BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec.17,1912.

Application filed December 12, 1911. Serial No. 665,283.

State of California, have invented certain.

new and-useful Improvements in Plug-Tobacco Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to dispensing boxes and particularly to a box or case for carrying plug chewing tobacco.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of a case or box for plug tobacco which will keep the plug fresh, free from dirt, grit, germs and other foreign matter, and will also keep the plug from drying out or staining the pockets.

A further object is the provision with av casing or box of means for projecting the plug from the casing to any desired degree and again retracting it into the casing.

A'further object is to provide in connection with a casing and means for projecting the plug from the casing a clamp for firmly engaging plugs of different sizes so as to hold them firmly connected to the retracting and projecting mechanism and permit a chew of tobacco to be taken from the plug without removing the plug entirely from the box.

A further object is to provide a neat, effective and simple device of this character, easily operated and adapted to contain plugs of any desired size below the regular size, the projecting and retracting mechanism being capable of operation by one hand without loss of time and the box or casing being of such size as to be readily carried within the pocket.

My invention is illustrated in the accom-, panying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of my plug tobacco box with the lid opened. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the box, partly broken away to show the ejecting mechanism, the lazy-tongs being depressed so that the box entirely incloses the plug. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the box, the ejecting mechanism being shown in elevation and operated to eject the plug. Fig. 4 is a ver- Fig. 5 is a detail view of the plunger plate and the latch for holding the jaws closed upon a plug.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

leferrin g to these figures, 2 designates the casing or box which is preferably 2%" by 4 by 1 in size as this size is such as to readily carry a plug of the standard or regular size as well as plugs of smaller size. The

box 2 is provided with the hinged lid or cover 3 having a spring hinge of any suit-,

able character designated 4 and acting to spring the cover upward when the detent which holds the cover. closed is released. This detent may-be of any suitable charac- -ter and is illustrated as a spring detent des' ignatedti and connected to a button 6 extending through the face of the box in convenient position to be pressed by the thumb of the user. When so pressed, the detent releases the lid and the lid flies upward.

Preferably the box is formed with rounded edges and slightly rounded corners so that the box will not wear thepocket. The exterior of the box on one side is formed with a depression 7 of a size to readily receive the ball of the thumb and the bottom of this depression is longitudinally slotted as at 8. .The lower end of this slot 8 has a lateral offset 9 and the upper cnd has a lateral offset 10 extending preferably in an opposite direction to the offset 9.

Disposed within the box is an ejector or plunger designated 11 having an upstanding pointed tooth 12 located at about the contracted neck for a purpose that will be later, described. The plate forming the plunger 11 is cut away on one side as at 13 to accommodate the mechanism whereby the plunger may be raised or depressed. The under faceof the plate forming the plunger or ejector 11 is provided with a downwardly extending rib or flange 14.

Disposed transversely across the bottomof the box is a pivot pin 15 headed at itsends so as to be held rigidly in position, and

mounted upon this pivot pin are the lowermost links 16 of a lazy-tongs comprising the links 16, the links 17 which are pivoted at their middles as at 18 and the links 19 which are pivotedto the links 17 at 2O.

The links 19-are pivoted to each other and to the rib or flange 14 by means of a rivet or like member 21. It will be obvious-that by forcing these links forming the lazytongs together in one direction, the lazytongs will be extended vertically, while by forcing them together in the other direction, the lazy-tongs will be contracted or depressed.

For the purpose of providing manually operated means whereby the project-ing device may be operated, I provide a vertically extending rod 23 connected at its lower end by diverging links 24 to the lower ends of the links 16, these links 24 being pivotally connected to the lower end of the rod 23 and pivotally connected to the lower ends of the links 16. The rod 23 extends upward along the side wall of the casing inside the same and near its upper end is attached to a button 25. This button is disposed within the concave recess 7 and the shank of the button extends through the slot 8 and engages with the rod 23. It will be obvious that when the button is pushed upward by the thumb of the user, the links 24: will draw the links 16 toward each other, thus expanding the lazy-tongs vertically and .lifting the plunger 11, and that when-the button 25 is pushed downward, the links 16 will be forced apart and the links 17 and 19 folded down thereon in the position shown in Fig. 2, thus retracting the plunger. By reason of the fact that the links 24 are connected adjacent to the pivotal point of the links 16, a relatively slight movement of the button 25 will be sufficient to secure a complete actuation of the lazy-tongs and to project the plug entirely from the box or casing. The'degree of this projection may of course be regulated by the amount of depression given to the button 25. The urpose of cut-ting away the plate forming the plunger 11 as at 13 is to accommodate the rod 23 which is disposed upon the inner face of the casing.

It is to be particularly noted that the rod 23 is relatively wide and that the button 25 is located not at the upper end of the rod or connection 23 but sufficiently below the upper end thereof so that that portion of the connection or rod 23 above the button will serve to close the slot 8 when the button is fully depressed so that there will be no opening for moisture, dirt, grit, etc., entering the interior of the box.

For the purpose of gripping a plug'of tobacco and holding it securely upon the plunger plate 11, I provide oppositely disposed clamping jaws 27 which are-movable toward or away from each other, and in this connection I also provide means for locking these jaws in their adjusted position upon a plug of tobacco. In the preferable form of my invention as illustrated in the figures, each of these jaws comprises a plate 28 which is longitudinally slotted as at 29 so as to engage the contracted neck 12 of the projecting pointed stud 12. Of

overlaps the other plate 28. .Each plate 26 is upwardly turned at its outer end and then inwardly bent, the inwardly bent portion being toothed as at 30 so as to engage the lower end of the plug and bite into the same so as to hold the plug securely upon the plunger plate. The plug is also forced down upon the pointed stud 12 and is thus additionally engaged with the plate.

31 designates a locking device working upon a pivot pin 32 passing through a corner of the plunger plate .11, and which when rotated to proper position holds the right and left clamps 27 securely in place. Any

other suitable means, however, for locking the clamping jaws in their adjusted position may be used.

The operation of my invention will be obvious from what has gone before. hen it is desired to place a plug within the box,

the button 25 is shifted upward to its fullest a to use the plug, the button is shifted upward to any desired point, and if it is shifted up to its fully projected position is held from any retraction by slightly shifting the but ton so as to carry its neck into the offset 10 of the slot 8. IVhen it'is desired to retract the plug, the button is forced downward carrying the plug down and the but-ton is then turned into engagement with the offset 9, thus preventing any outward movement of the plug until the button is again actuated. The lid'is then closed and the detent 5 holds it closed. When the plug is being used, it is not necessary that it should be fully ejected. It is only ejected to the amount desired. The purpose of the lock- 7 ing offset 10 is to hold the plunger in its elevated position when the plug is being applied to the plunger.

My invention is simple, convenient and extremely sanitary. It is obvious that many changes might be made in the specific form of the device illustrated without departing from the spirit of the invention.

While I have shown the folding lazytongs mechanism as being double, this lazytongs may be single without departing from the spirit of the invention. The box, however, would have to be wider in this case, which is undesirable.

What I claim is:

1; A box for dispensing plug tobacco, 65 course one of the plates 28 rests upon or comprising a casing having a longitudinal to the button and diverging links pivoted at their upper ends to the rod and at their lower ends to the links of the lazy-tongs, whereby the lazy-tongs maybe expanded or contracted upon a shifting of the said button to raise or lower the plunger.

2. A box for dispensing plug tobacco coinprising a longitudinally slotted casing, a

slot, and diverging upon the bottom ing co-incident slots lazy-tongs mounted within the casing and having its lower links pivotally mounted of the casing, plug clampdevices operatively supported upon the upper end of the lazy-tongs, a button mounted upon the exterior of the casing and having a portion projecting through the links operatively connecting the button with the lower links of the lazy-tongs whereby the lazy-tongs may be fully expanded or contracted upon a limited shifting movement of the button, thus to raise or lower" the plug-clamping devices relative to the box. 8. A box for dispensing plug tobacco, comprising a casing, a shiftable plunger therein, a mechanism operatively connected to the plunger whereby the latter may be operated, a headed stud projecting from the center of the plunger and having a pointed extremity and superposed jaw-carrying plates resting upon said plunger and having through which the stud passes, and oppositely disposed jaws formed upon the ends of said plates, whereby the plates may be adjusted into clamping posi-' tion upon the plunger.

t. A box for dispensing plug tobacco comprising a casmg, a shiftable plunger therein from with the offset extending at right angles to the side walls of the casing, mechanism operatively connected to the plunger whereby the latter may be operated, a headed stud projecting a pointed extremity and superposed jawcarrying plates resting upon said plunger and'ha-ving coincident slots through which the stud passes, oppositely disposed jaws formed upon the ends of said plate, and means mounted on the plunger for holding the jaws in their adjusted position.

the center of the plunger and having 5. A box for dispensing plug tobacco comprising a casing formed with a longitudinal slot, the ends of the slot being oppositely offset, a plunger disposed within the casing, adjust-able plug clamping jaws mounted upon the plunger, a lazy-tongs consisting of crossed links, the upper links of the lazytongs pivotallyconnected to the plunger and the lower links thereof being pivotally connected to-the bottom of the casing, a button having a shank projecting through the slot in the casing, said shank being shiftable along the slot, .a rod depending from said button, and diverging links pivotally connected at one end to the rod, the other ends of said links being pivotally connected to the lowermost links of the lazy-tongs above the pivotal support for the same whereby the lazy-tongs may be fully expanded or contracted upon a relatively limited movement of the button, the pivotal connection of the rod with the ton to be laterally shifted into engagement ends of the slots. I In testimon whereof I aflix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses. Y

-Witnesses:

' LESTER DE Wrrr, Josn OANANAs.

links permitting the but- 

